Italian Game: Classical Variation

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3

ECO C53

The Italian Game: Classical Variation is a chess opening line in the Italian Game complex, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3.

It is catalogued under code C53 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).

The defining move c3 is chosen by White on move 4.

19 named continuations branch from this position, including the Albin Gambit and the Center Holding Variation.

Named variations

• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Albin Gambit — ECO C50
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Holding Variation — ECO C53
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Closed Variation — ECO C53
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Eisinger Variation — ECO C53
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, La Bourdonnais Variation — ECO C53
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Mestel Variation — ECO C53
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Tarrasch Variation — ECO C53
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Attack — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Ghulam-Kassim Variation — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Anderssen Variation — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Dubov Italian — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Greco Variation — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Main Line — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Modern Line — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Moeller-Bayonet Attack — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Moeller-Therkatz Attack — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Traditional Line — ECO C54
• Italian Game: Classical Variation, with d5 — ECO C54

Study this line with a grandmaster

This position is covered in the Beat the Italian course: a GM-authored repertoire you study move by move, then practice against a human-like AI opponent.

Every chess term used here is defined in the chess terms glossary. Browse all opening courses or the full ECO code index.